Prime Day is very much on the horizon, which means it’s time to start thinking about how much you’ll save on the best noise-cancelling earbuds and best noise-cancelling headphones when the July Prime Day sales event officially hits on July 16 and 17.
But which buds are ripe for the picking – and which headphones are worthy of a spot in your carry-on bag? That’s why I’m here. The models here are all options I’ve been thoroughly impressed by under intense review. In each case, build quality, features (including hi-res chops, spatial audio side sauce, and noise cancellation) plus stamina, sound, and value are well-represented. Yes, early Prime Day headphones deals are already starting to pop up, but we expect to see more and better discounts as we draw closer to the big day(s).
So without further ado, these are the headphones and earbuds I think you should look out for when the sales commence. And stop the press, because the excellent Cambridge Audio Melomania M100 are already discounted, and AirPods Pro 2 (not featured here, but very good and wildly popular) just hit a record-low price! You can simply scroll down to see the best deals – and oh, how you love to see it. Happy shopping, and stay safe out there.
Cambridge Audio Melomania M100
You’d think it couldn’t happen: in my in-depth review of the Cambridge Audio Melomania M100 (a set of earbuds that have only been around since the end of March 2024 and now sit proudly among our picks of the best noise-cancelling earbuds) I praised their ergonomic shape, exemplary noise cancellation and engaging sound. Plus, you get the luminous Matt Berry announcing those often beige voice prompts and they’re already on sale! What’s not to love?
What you need to know: although Melomania means ‘crazy about music’ not ‘crazy about noise cancelling’, the British audio specialist has recently conceded that music fans are, for the most part, also crazy about ANC. And if Cambridge was ever going to grudgingly silence the extraneous noise around you with antiphase tech, it was going to be done right. There’s no tweaking beyond ‘On’, ‘Off’ or ‘Transparency’ here, when it’s on, the ANC is as effective as you could ever wish for, cocooning the wearer in a near-unreachable bubble of silence.
Any downsides? There’s no proprietary spatial audio processing (remember, Cambridge Audio is a UK hi-fi specialist crazy about music, not about extra processing or directional filters) and the case is just a tad bigger than some others on the market. And I don’t care. I think for this money – and they’re already discounted – this is a stone cold steal of a Prime Day bargain. Did I mention they only landed on March 27 of this year? Quick!
Nothing Ear (a)
Another awesome 2024 release – this time in the budget sector, from Carl Pei’s plucky startup, Nothing. A quick glance of my Nothing Ear (a) review is probably all you need to know, by way of an explanation, as to why they’re here in this roundup.
Look, they’re a five-star set of earbuds that come in at just $99 / £99 / AU$192 to start with, and they only arrived on April 22 of this year. So any discounts you do see will be a) the first ever price cuts listed, and b) worth every penny.
OK, you don’t get Nothing’s top-tier ceramic driver or sound profiles (for those perks you’ll need the more expensive Nothing Ear, although those didn’t wow us quite so much under intense review), and there’s no wireless charging support, but that’s where the downsides end. You see, even for their humble regular MSRP, these lovely yellow (or white) cheap and cheerful buds are a great buy – that’s why I feel duty bound to bering them to your attention.
The more meaningful noise cancellation, superb sound quality for the level, longer battery life and feature-set in this, Nothing’s joint-fourth stab at true wireless earbuds, are spot on. If you spot a saving during Prime Day, don’t hesitate!
Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless
When it comes to over-ears, you normally need to look a little further back to get the best deals – but not a lot further. The already great-value Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless gained a coveted five-star review upon their release in August 2022 and although there are newer options, these rewrote the rule-book on what was possible at the level.
They’re still Sennheiser’s flagship wireless headphones today and although their original launch price was $349 / £300 / AU$549, you can often find them hovering around the $299 / £269 / AU$450 mark now. I still rate the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless as the best wireless headphones in the premium bracket (without venturing into super high-end territory) because their sound quality, smart features and battery life especially have yet to be beaten for the price.
So what discount should you look for specifically? They fell as low as $249 / £219 over Black Friday last November, so that’s the goal – that, or possibly even a few dollars (or pounds) lower and I would say you’re looking at a great bargain.
The ANC here can be beaten by Sony‘s top-tier cans, but not for this money. And I can vouch for the excellent 60-hour battery life, which has seen me through many a long-haul flight.
Apple AirPods Max
You’ve almost certainly heard of the Apple AirPods Max – but our Apple AirPods Max review is a great place to start if not. Apple’s inaugural (and still only) own-brand over-ears are iconic and incredibly talented – especially if you own an iPhone or iPad for head-tracked spatial audio.
Here’s the thing: they made their debut in December 2020 – yes, four-and-a-half years is a little while in wireless audio. They often fall below their launch price of $549 / £549 / AU$899, but not by too much. Also, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones have since entered the flagship fray. These sound very good indeed, cost a lot less and have better noise cancellation (plus, they’re lighter). Add to this rumors of the AirPods Max 2 arriving later in 2024, with better processing, sound and features that match AirPods Pro 2, and perhaps it’s no surprise that we’re already seeing AirPods Max fall to a healthy $399 at Amazon before Prime Day’s even begun!
This is premium Apple territory and to wear them is to feel very good about it. As with many elite headphones, there’s a timeless quality to them and when you can find the AirPods Max for the right price, they’ll still make you very happy indeed.
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becky.scarrott@futurenet.com (Becky Scarrott)
